Australia 31-0 Wales

By Phil Harlow

80 mins: Wales flanker Colin Charvis goes on one last desperate surge to the line and almost gets there with half of the Australia pack on his back, but he is held up and the final whistle is sounded.

Australia go up to second in the world rankings, but they will know they need to make major improvements before the Tri-Nations.

It's a disappointing end to the summer tour for Wales, although several players can go back home with their heads held high and their World Cup chances enhanced.

78 mins: Wales are finishing well, and are going all out for the try their overall play probably deserves.

75 mins: Colin Charvis is still playing at 100% as he dots through a grubber and then absolutely belts Julian Huxley into touch. The Australia full-back will feel that one in the morning.

72 mins: Australia are starting to turn on the style a little now, with flicks out the back and runaround moves coming out of the locker.

70 mins: There's a brief flare-up at the scrum, but even that is a half-hearted affair.

68 mins: A great last-ditch tackle from Gavin Henson on Mark Gerrard prevents another Australia try. Wales are just about clinging on to the scoreline on the board at the moment, but any hopes of a recovery are long gone.

66 mins: All of a sudden, Wales are looking tired in defence as Australia start to cut through with ease. Digby Ioane almost cuts straight through the middle, and Wales are grateful for Gareth Thomas's tackle out wide to stop another Wallabies attack.

63 mins: TRY Australia 31-0 Wales
This could get ugly for Wales as Australia strike again with nearly 20 minutes left to play.

A clever pass from substitute George Gregan finds Julian Huxley coming back on the angle, and the full-back skilfully chips over the last man and collects to score.

Stirling Mortlock adds another conversion.

59 mins: TRY Australia 24-0 Wales
Wales only have themselves to blame as they knock-on deep in Australia's half to lose possession. In a flash, Stephen Larkham's vision and skill puts the ball left and into Drew Mitchell's hands.

The winger realises he is up against second row Michael Owen and puts his foot down to scorch round the outside and in for a try which Stirling Mortlock converts.

57 mins: Wales create an overlap on the right thanks to a skilful flick from Gavin Henson, but unfortunately it's a lock and a number eight on the flank and they lack the pace to make the breakthrough.

56 mins: PEN Australia 17-0 Wales
That could be it as far as Wales are concerned as a high tackle is punished by a Stirling Mortlock penalty from in front of the posts.

54 mins: An interception from James Hook, but - unlike in the first Test - Wales do not make it count.

Hook links up with Michael Owen, who then releases Aled Brew but the winger decides not to give the pass to the unmarked Gavin Henson and the chance is gone.

52 mins: Both packs have made changes in the front row, but the scrum is still a mess of resets and collapses.

50 mins: Another penalty for Australia as Wales stray offside, and the Wallabies are going for the jugular as they kick to the corner.

47 mins: Australia must have been given something of a talking-to at the break. They are playing with so much more ambition as breaks from Matt Giteau and Wycliff Palu put them in the ascendancy.

43 mins: TRY Australia 14-0 Wales
It looks like Wales may have to wait a while longer for a win over Australia as Digby Ioane scores in the corner on his Test debut.

Good work from Wycliffe Palu and Nathan Sharpe creates the opportunity, and Australia exploit the overlap clinically to give the 20-year-old a simple run to the line.

Stirling Mortlock's conversion attempt bounces off the post and stays out.

41 mins: PEN Australia 9-0 Wales
A dispiriting start for Wales as Stirling Mortlock kicks an early penalty for Australia after an offence at the breakdown.

1204: The second-half is under way, and we can only hope for an improvement from both sides. Main half-time news is that I got Anton Chekhov in the office Derby sweepstake.

A certain member of staff, who regularly wins the weekly sweepstakes he insists on organising, somehow manages to pick out odds-on favourite Authorized. He maintains his innocence.

40 mins: The hooter goes and there's more than a hint of discontent among the Australia fans. Not quite Twickenham-esque, but you could certainly detect a few boos as the players walk off for half-time.

Good luck to the TV directors trying to find some highlights from that 40 minutes.

39 mins: Aled Brew puts in a good hit on Adam Ashley-Cooper and Wales win a penalty to relieve some more pressure.

37 mins: Hats off to Colin Charvis and Gavin Henson as they deal with a dangerous situation superbly.

Stephen Larkham's inside pass puts the powerful Wycliff Palu into open space, but a textbook tackle from behind by Charvis cuts him down and a Henson steal at the breakdown that Richie McCaw would have been proud of snuff out the attack.

34 mins: This really isn't great stuff at the moment, and the lack of atmosphere inside the stadium is no real surprise.

Referee Paul Honiss agrees, as he has a chat with the two captains. "There's no attitude at the minute - it's all negative - let's have some positive play from both sides."

Fair comment, and if both sides can cut out the knock-ons, misplaced passes, not straight line-out throws and the rest of the problems, we might have a decent Test match.

31 mins: Julian Huxley blots his copybook with a bad mistake from a penalty to touch. He kicks towards the corner, but gets too greedy and sees his kick go out the wrong side of the corner flag.

27 mins: A fine tackle from Gavin Thomas turns possession over for Wales, and a meaty boot from Colin Charvis clears the ball downfield.

26 mins: A brilliant clearance kick from Drew Mitchell makes 60m for his side, and Wales compound the problem with a crooked throw at the line-out to hand Australia a scrum.

23 mins: Ceri Jones, playing at tight-head, is not making any friends with referee Paul Honiss as he concedes a penalty for boring in at the scrum.

21 mins: Gavin Henson is on in place of Chris Czekaj, who is carried off on a stretcher, and seems to be lining up at full-back with Gareth Thomas moving onto the wing.

20 mins: That was horrible - I feel a bit queasy, although not quite as much as on my stag do last weekend...

Wales winger Chris Czekaj's game is over as he goes down in a heap after his knee buckles in a tackle. There's an audible scream of pain from the Blues youngster, and the look on his face tells you it could be serious.

I really wish the TV directors would not insist on replaying incidents like that. I cannot watch at all.

17 mins: The Wales scrum is not enjoying itself. The pack is sent backwards and gives scrum-half Mike Phillips some horrible possession to deal with. Not what the number nine was hoping for.

15 mins: PEN Australia 6-0 Wale
Wales are punished again as Australia edge out of their half and then force the penalty at the breakdown. Stirling Mortlock steps up and slots the long-range kick.

13 mins: The first sign of Wales in attack as some quick hands from Mike Phillips, Mefin Davies, Gareth Thomas and Robert Sidoli put Chris Czekaj one-on-one with his opposite number, but the Wales winger is outmuscled and loses the ball.

11 mins: Almost straight from the kick-off, Australia's Adam Ashley-Cooper is penalised on the floor, but James Hook fluffs his penalty attempt. A worrying sign for Wales - it really wasn't that difficult for a player of Hook's ability.

10 mins: PEN Australia 3-0 Wales
Jonathan Thomas picks up off the back of the scrum and is turned in the tackle by Matt Giteau. Thomas holds on, and from the resulting penalty, Stirling Mortlock kicks Australia in front.

9 mins: The first significant break, as Australia's Nathan Sharpe takes a clever inside pass to burst through the middle.

The second row sends out a great wide pass, and it needs a superb last-ditch tackle from Sonny Parker on Stirling Mortlock to prevent a try. Parker's tackle forces a turnover to give possession to Wales at the scrum.

7 mins: A free-kick to Wales after an Australian offence at the scrum is swept out to Aled Brew, but his chip ahead goes straight out. Sums it up so far.

4 mins: It's very bitty stuff so far. Line-outs not straight, knock-ons, injury breaks - nothing much to report, really. The stadium announcers has resorted to playing a bit of Blues Brothers as Jonathan Thomas is attended to.

2 mins: A bad knock-on from Wallabies full-back Julian Huxley hands possession back to Wales. A fairly low-key start from both sides so far.

1 min: Australia kick to the corner and set up camp in Welsh territory, but a fumble lets Aled Brew hack forward twice to clear the danger.

1105: James Hook kicks off for Wales to get the match under way. Wales regather the ball and spread it into midfield, but Chris Czekaj is penalised for holding on.

1103: The anthems are over. Australia's singer - I didn't catch his name - gives a wholehearted rendition of "Advance Australia Fair" although he rather over eggs the pudding, if you ask me. I much preferred the Welsh number.

1101: Captain Stirling Mortlock strides out of the tunnel as the Wallabies - who have apparently been feeling the sharp end of the merciless Australian media's tongue - prepare for battle.

1057: The ageless Gareth Thomas, gumshield half hanging out his mouth, jogs out onto the field with his Wales team-mates behind him. They immediately group into a huddle on the halfway line.

James Hook looks as calm as you like, while Thomas lays down the law to the 22 players who will be looking to improve Wales' dismal record in Australia.

1050: Both sides have made changes to the line-ups who played last week, with Australia grateful for fly-half Stephen Larkham's return.

The Wallabies looked somewhat rudderless last week, and the guile of Larkham could be just what the doctor ordered.

Wales have Michael Owen and Mefin Davies back in their XV.

1036: The atmosphere is building up inside the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane as the players run through their pre-match warm-up routines, although there are plenty of spare seats inside the ground at the moment.

Earlier this morning, New Zealand put down a marker for the southern hemisphere with an emphatic 42-11 win over an understrength France.

But can Wales, who went so close last week, fly the flag for the northern half of the globe with only their second ever win in Australia?

Australia: Julian Huxley; Digby Ioane, Stirling Mortlock (capt), Adam Ashley-Cooper, Drew Mitchell; Stephen Larkham, Matt Giteau; Benn Robinson, Stephen Moore, Guy Shepherdson, Nathan Sharpe, Dan Vickerman, Rocky Elsom, George Smith, Wycliff Palu.
Replacements: Adam Freier, Matt Dunning, Mark Chisholm, Stephen Hoiles, Phil Waugh, George Gregan, Mark Gerrard.

Wales: Gareth Thomas (capt); Chris Czekaj, Jamie Robinson, Sonny Parker, Aled Brew; James Hook, Mike Phillips; Iestyn Thomas, Mefin Davies, Ceri Jones, Michael Owen, Robert Sidoli, Colin Charvis, Gavin Thomas, Jonathan Thomas.
Replacements: Richard Hibbard, Chris Horsman, Scott Morgan, Robin Sowden-Taylor, Andy Williams, Gavin Henson, Ceri Sweeney.